wiki Comments

shane17974Feb 21, 2012 02:21 PM

Great wikihow, Very informative if your someone who has never been around football before. This could be a useful tool for an exchange student trying to acclimate to the American lifestyle. Considering how confusing and hard it can be explaining football to someone who has never encountered it, you have done a good job of simplifying and breaking down the positions and terminology of the game. Being a football enthusiast myself I can appreciate your topic of choice. Well done!

shane17974Feb 21, 2012 02:02 PM

Great Wikihow! I love Middle eastern food so much and have never had Fattoush. I’ll definitely need to make/buy Fattoush at some point; I love Tabouli and eat it all the time which is similar to Fattoush. Your article is very well organized and easy to follow. It’s also visually stimulating, Great pictures, I assume you took them yourself. I gather that your Lebanese, it’s cool how you incorporated your culture into your school project. well done.

shane17974Feb 21, 2012 02:49 PM

Dude, enjoyed the wikihow. I’m not a car owner but I can appreciate the DIY (do it yourself) mentality. Your article was easy to read and has entertainment value as well. I feel confident in my car door removal skills now. It seems you’re a gearhead of sorts which I can respect. I like the fact that you chose to write about something you’re passionate about, maybe not car doors but cars in general. Really like the wikihow, keep on tinkering with your cars.

shane17974Feb 21, 2012 02:33 PM

Sweet topic! I have been to Niagara Falls a number of times and never knew about this place. I think it’s cool to have a place not many people know about to go and hang out with friend etc. your decision to make your topic on a local place is commendable. I like the whole cave network part, that must be fun to go explore and the fact that’s it’s a NU hangout is cool too, I’m sure there are some great parties held there. Really enjoyed you wiki page, Well done!

1. shane17974Feb 23, 2012 09:33 AM

Enjoyed the wikihow! I have a similar kind of decoration scheme going in my home at home in Brooklyn, although not as fashion forward as your motif. Very creative topic idea, if I were still dorming I think I would be motived to decorate my room after seeing your wikihow page. Although our choice in decorations is a little different, I opt for sketchy historical figures and musicians, maybe a stolen beer ad from a bar. I can appreciate the tips on how to configure them around a room. Well done, keep it real.

Self-portrait ideas

Buffalo is a city of decay; I don’t mean to offend people when I say this but Buffalos hay day is well behind us. An idea I had was how I interact with this decaying rust belt city; the people, places and events. For the most part the people who live here are blue color, working class. But I’ve encountered a number of extraverts that are extremely interesting. For example Sly, Sly is a homeless man who wonders in around Elmwood and the surrounding areas. There are a number of me living alternative lifestyles around the Elmwood area, my question is why are they in this position? Could someone like me make the same mistakes? How different is our backgrounds?

                I was thinking of comparing my lifestyle here in Buffalo on my own and comparing it to my life in Brooklyn where things are provided for. My diet probably being the biggest difference; Food is expensive and I’m not as creative a chef as my father who makes dinner for us every night. Living space is another, my room in my parents’ house in Brooklyn is quite large, and there is also cable TV and all sorts of tools you would associate with a home. I came to Buffalo on an air plane with one duffle bag, needless to say I’m living a minimalist lifestyle.

                I like to socialize, I enjoy the company of others probably more than anything. I’ve been told by my peers that I’m a “funny guy” but it’s hard to get everyone you talk to like you. There for some people might construe me as an “ass hole”. I was thinking of making my self-portrait on the fine line between being liked because of your energy and sense of fun; or someone persevering your perhaps off-color remark as mean-spirited.                    

My Wikihow data

How to Do a United States Road Trip on a Budget
edits by:Shane17974 (see all)
Article
Edit Discuss History

The United States is a huge country with countless different cultures to experience and sights to see. A road trip can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. Yet, if well planned can be affordable and will definitely be a life changing experience.
EditSteps

1
choose you travel companions wisely

. relatives and life long friends are best. It would put you in a tough spot if you realized you didn’t like the person you are traveling with; or she/he turned out to be some sort of whacko.
2
pack effectively

. Depending on what sort of vehicle your taking will vary what you can bring. Things you will definitely need.1, A Reliable Car; on my trip we were lucky enough to have a brand new Toyota Tacoma.2, Smart Phone; the IPhone: saved us a lot of money on many occasions. Groupon deals at restaurant, reliable directions, entertainment in the car, contacting friends on the road. The list goes on forever. 3, A Tent. A tent will be very useful if you have nowhere to sleep and can’t afford a hotel; just pitch that bad boy anywhere to catch some sleep. 4, Clothes, you will need less than you think; go prepared for any weather. Bring something water proof, something warm something comfortable. Bring waterproof shoes, sneakers and something a little formal just in case. 5, Cooler, Camping stove; these items will save you a ton of money having canned, freeze dried and prepared goods will enable you to not eat out every meal.
3
Pre-trip Planning

.sit down with your traveling companions and make a general outline of where you want to go. Start with a direction; depending on what time of year it is this will come into play. You don’t want to be at Mount Rushmore in January or New Orleans in August. Then come to a conclusion on where you want to go (cities, National parks, monuments, etc). Map your course out in an atlas; this will also help you create a timeline.
4
Accommodations

. in order to make your road trip as cost effective as possible you should find people you know in the places you're visiting and see if you can stay with them. Lodgings can be the most expensive part of a road trip so staying with friends can save you a lot of money. Hostels are an inexpensive alternative to hotels if you don’t mind roughing it a little. There are websites like couchsurfing.org in which people allow traveler to spend the night at their house. Be sure to bring a tent; camping is fun and free most of the time: also when camping at national parks (I.E Yellow Stone, Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore etc.) having that tent will really pay off because hotels are very expensive around these areas.
5
Food

. when in a new city it’s important to get a taste of the local fair i.e. (deli in New York, deep dish in Chicago, BBQ in Kansas City, ETC) but eating out three times a day can get extremely expensive. So be prepared for an impromptu meal, have your cooler packed with peanut butter and jelly, canned tuna, ramen noodles etc. this will save you at least twenty-five dollars a day and make the meals you day eat at restaurants all the more enjoyable.
6
Get lost

. getting out there and finding new places and tuning out of your world at home can be the most important part of your road trip. The place where I really was able to lose my problems and worries of my home life was Jackson Hole Wyoming. The beauty of the Grand Tetons, Yellow Stone National park and the quaint town of Jackson gave me a feeling of being so far from home and a true individual. You can feel truly free from all that is bothering you, on your road trip I challenge to find your place to get lost
EditTips

Must See in the United States

.



Cites;
New Orleans, LA. For culture, food, nightlife, history
Chicago, IL. For Architecture, Museums, History and friendly people
San Francisco, CA. For Scenic beauty, food and outdoor activities
San Diego, CA. For fun in the sun, surfing, sea kayaking, there are tons of outdoor activities and some of the nicest beaches in the country.
Memphis, TN. For music, culture, food and sightseeing; home of Graceland, the rock and soul museum, the Civil Rights museum etc.
Austin, TX. For Restaurants and night life; this city is a true cultural destination, lots of cool people and an all-around fun place to be.
New York City, NY. This true American city is home to the best Restaurants, museums, Architecture and History in the country. An absolute must visit.
Destinations
Yellowstone National Park, A wild life preserve with endless natural wonders and true breathtaking wildlife. During my trip there we encountered a grizzly bear, elk, moose, and bison: also geysers, the Yellowstone canyon and other beautiful landscapes.
The Grand Canyon, this natural wonder is a true gem and breathtakingly beautiful. Words can’t describe the feeling you get while looking into this amazing Canyon.
Mount Rushmore, An all American destination, this monument is a testament to American ingenuity and pride in our history.
The Redwood Forest, The size of these trees in mind blowing, they put age into perspective because some of these trees are thousands of years old.
Craters of the moon National Park, is an out of this world experience. It’s a vast ocean of lava flows that has dramatically changed the landscape located near Butte Idaho.
The Badlands, is a trip back in time, it holds the world’s richest fossil beds where wooly mammoth, saber tooth tigers and other prehistoric animals have been uncovered. The landscape is undesirable it looks as if you’re on another planet.

My Wikihow URL

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-United-States-Road-Trip-on-a-Budget

Web 2.0 Friend of Foe?

WEB 2.0 Friend or Foe?

                Over the past eight or so years the evolution of web 2.0 has been imposable to not take note of. Web 2.0 has infiltrated our lives and there are no signs of it getting less popular. The signs are everywhere; you can’t watch ESPN’s Sports Center without hearing the caster quote an athlete’s Twitter. When was the last advertisement you saw that didn’t invite you to “check us out on Facebook?” This is all really ground breaking stuff, the ability to post videos and watch videos on You Tube; to communicate instantly over the internet, to share photos and learn about events on Facebook; if you wanted to know MC Hammer’s birthday or a recipe for Gyoza (Japanese dumplings) look no further than a Wiki site. Web 2.0 definitely has many positive, but what are the negatives?  Is web 2.0 growing too fast? Can we trust the majority of the material on a web 2.0 site? Some experts claim that web 2.0 may not be as angelic as its crack up to be. Take Mr. Matt Bacak for example he claims “every coin has two sides and Web 2.0 is no exception”; he goes on to say that since all web 2.0 sites data can be edited they “become vulnerable to vandalism. Since, anyone can edit the content of a Web 2.0 site”. Mr. Bacak has a valid point here; can we trust Wikipedia when they tell us that MC Hammer was born March 30, 1962; or the Wikihow Gyoza recipe?

                Another web 2.0 shortcoming is privacy, how do we know or personal information on Facebook, twitter, Blogger, Google, Zippos is really safe? The Wall Street Journal has reported that Facebook is being criticized for its recent change in privacy policies. As users want more privacy on Facebook, Ceo and creator Mark Zuckerberg has been taking strides to make our information more public “Mr. Zuckerberg, who has argued for years that its users should be more open with their information”. Privacy on web 2.0 is a big deal, reputation, job opportunity, higher education acceptance, can all be affected by your content on web 2.0; something that’s intended for your friends at home probably isn’t suitable for a future employer and Facebook, Mr. Zuckerberg and the entire web 2.0 community should be considerate of that fact.        

Sources

http://knol.google.com/k/web-2-0-the-disadvantages#
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704912004575252723109845974.html
http://www.exforsys.com/tutorials/web-2.0/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-web-2.0.html

Web 2.0

WHAT I THINK WEB 2.0 IS



                From what I understand web 2.0 is essentially any interactive website.  As opposed to a website that has set information us you to look at. So any social networking site i.e. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. is a web 2.0 site. Whereas sites which you cannot interact with i.e. DMV.gov, really any State/Government site; would be considered a web 1.0 site. When I think of web 2.0 the first word that comes to my mind is “sharing”; you post on YouTube to share your videos, you post on Facebook to share stories, pictures, events with your friends. Another phenomenon of the web 2.0 era is the population of Wikis and Blogs. Long gone are the days of looking in an encyclopedia, cook book, atlas or text book for answers; go online do a Google search and enough Wikipedia, blogs and other sources will answer any question you have. Web 2.0 has changed how we get information, communicate and share information. How do I feel about this? For the most part I think it’s great! There’s only one thing that bothers me; Social networking is antisocial! I have found when a meeting is spurred by a social media outlet; the actual face time can feel awkward and uncomfortable. It takes away from the “magic” of interaction. I fear for the next generation, where all the know is Facebook and don’t really want to actually interact socially. What does the future of the web hold for us? I haven’t the slightest idea. Where else can the minds pushing web 2.0 go? If I knew the answer to these questions id be acting on them.    

The topic of my wiki page is how to survive your American road trip. This past fall three friends and I in barked on a road trip across the nation. We were on the road for about two months and the places we went and the people we encountered truly made it a life changing experience. The first and most important step to having a successful experience is to travel with people you can handle being around all day. My travel companions are three of my oldest and best friends. We all went to summer camp together and have been friends ever since our first summer at Camp Dudley. Alex is my cousin so naturally I knew we would get along swimmingly. David was the first person I ever met at Camp Dudley and we’ve been paling around since we were elven years old. Pete (shorty) and I lived together for a period of time so I was confident that we had a solid crew. The second step is planning, destinations, lodging and sights. Between the four of us we had a great network of college aged friends, resent college grads and family friends to stay with. We only had to stay in a hotel twice and we camped out once. Not paying for lodging was the most helpful part of making this trip affordable. Also the people hosting you will always point you in the right direction to great sights, restaurants and other forms of entertainment. This is a country full of nature beauty, not being afraid to pull over and check something out is a good thing to remember. Our most memorable moments happened on a whim, having a plan is important not being afraid to deviate from it is even more important. Another thing to remember is “when in Rome” when in a new city try the local food, drink and live in the life style of the city, do as the locals do.             

The topic of my wiki page is how to survive your American road trip. This past fall three friends and I in barked on a road trip across the nation. We were on the road for about two months and the places we went and the people we encountered truly made it a life changing experience. The first and most important step to having a successful experience is to travel with people you can handle being around all day. My travel companions are three of my oldest and best friends. We all went to summer camp together and have been friends ever since our first summer at Camp Dudley. Alex is my cousin so naturally I knew we would get along swimmingly. David was the first person I ever met at Camp Dudley and we’ve been paling around since we were elven years old. Pete (shorty) and I lived together for a period of time so I was confident that we had a solid crew. The second step is planning, destinations, lodging and sights. Between the four of us we had a great network of college aged friends, resent college grads and family friends to stay with. We only had to stay in a hotel twice and we camped out once. Not paying for lodging was the most helpful part of making this trip affordable. Also the people hosting you will always point you in the right direction to great sights, restaurants and other forms of entertainment. This is a country full of nature beauty, not being afraid to pull over and check something out is a good thing to remember. Our most memorable moments happened on a whim, having a plan is important not being afraid to deviate from it is even more important. Another thing to remember is “when in Rome” when in a new city try the local food, drink and live in the life style of the city, do as the locals do.             

Group Conversion on 1st internet experience

It was interesting hearing the differences between my first internet experience and my class mates in my group. My first internet experience was influenced heavily by my older brother who showed me how to download music off of Napster. The other members of my group for the most part said that their parents were the first people to open their eyes to the internet. One member of our group said that her first experience with the internet was planning a trip to Florida with her father. Getting directions on MapQuest and booking a hotel. Another member of the group claimed that her first experience was playing online games and using AIM to talk to friends. The remaining member said her experience was at her Middle school. So there was a rather wide range of answers. The conversation then went on to what other internet advances really amazed us. For example the introduction to wireless internet, the first time we encountered a mobile device with internet capability. We also discussed how the rise of social media really changed how we use the internet. We talked about how social media evolved from AIM to MySpace to Facebook and Twitter. It was fun to hear how other interacts with the internet and how that interaction has evolved over the past ten or so years.